


The Imp and the Hatter

by Dearieforever



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:34:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24025162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dearieforever/pseuds/Dearieforever
Summary: Jefferson is in need of money to raise his daughter, and goes to Rumplestiltskin in hopes of a deal. Neither of them ever expected to find a best friend.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

Raising a child was never easy. It was even harder raising a child alone. Jefferson wanted to give his daughter everything, but there never seemed to be enough money to do it. In some ways, it was to help make up for the loss of her mother. It was Jefferson’s own fault Pricilla was gone. That made it so much worse. If he hadn’t tried to steal from the March Hare-. But It was a useless thought now. She was gone, and Grace needed him to provide for her.  
Funds were far lower than usual, or he might never have gone to see Rumplestiltskin. There were so many horror stories about him. If even half of them were true, he must be a complete monster. Still, he made gold, and that was what Jefferson needed most just then. He knocked at the door of the castle, and it opened. The hatter stepped inside, looking around. No one seemed to be there, and then he heard a voice behind him.  
“Well don’t just stand there, Dearie. You knocked, so you may as well come in.”  
Jefferson jumped, and turned to see a man covered in greenish gold scales. The man gave a giggle, and Jefferson wondered for a second if he’d made a mistake. He told himself to remember he needed the gold for Grace.  
“I’ve- I’ve heard you like to make deals, and that you help people sometimes,” Jefferson said.  
“That depends on the deal and on the people, Dearie,” Rumple answered. “So, what is it that you want? Wait, let me guess. Immortality?”  
“No,” Jefferson answered.  
“Gold?”  
“Actually, yes.”  
“Ah,” Rumple said. “Usually one of the two. But I’ll warn you, it isn’t something for nothing.”  
Jefferson groaned in frustration.  
“If I had anything I could give you I wouldn’t need the gold.” He thought briefly of his hat, but he hoped he wouldn’t have to give that up. He never knew when he might need it.  
“Some people don’t realize what they have,” Rumple commented thoughtfully. “Are you a family man by any chance?”  
“I have a daughter,” Jefferson told him. Then he wondered if he should have never mentioned Grace.  
“Send her to me, and I’ll give you as much gold as you like.”  
Jefferson stepped back, looking at him with a mix of fear and anger.  
“Are you out of your mind? There’s nothing more important than her. I wouldn’t trade her for any treasure any mage or whatever else could provide!” He shook his head. “She’s all I have. I’m all she has too. If you think I’d ever give her up, you’re even more insane than people say you are!”  
To his surprise, Rumple smiled, but there was a sadness to that smile.  
“You’d be surprised how often people don’t realize how important their children are.”  
Now Jefferson was curious.  
“Was this some sort of test?”  
“One you passed,” Rumple answered. “Now about that gold, Dearie. I take it your daughter is the one you need it for?”  
“Yes, she is. It’s not easy to provide for her. She deserves far more than I can give.”  
Rumple studied him, and then said “I’ll help you.”   
Some of the sing song quality was gone from his voice, and he seemed more serious in general.   
“It’s still not something for nothing,” Rumple continued. “But I’m sure we can work something out.” He noticed what Jefferson was wearing on his head. “What an interesting hat. It seems to me there’s more to it than meets the eye.”  
“There is,” Jefferson admitted. “I’m afraid I can’t trade it, but I can let you use it in exchange for gold. It creates portals, can take you anyplace you want to go.”  
“Anyplace?” Rumple asked. There was an overwhelming excitement to him now, and an almost crazed look in his eyes.  
“Anyplace with magic,” Jefferson clarified. The excitement died in Rumple’s eyes. He seemed defeated somehow. Then that seemed to pass.  
“It appears we can make a deal after all,” Rumple told him. “Come with me, please.”  
He led him to a room with a spinning wheel. Beside it was a small mountain of golden thread. Jefferson’s draw dropped.   
“Don’t look so impressed, Dearie. The place is getting cluttered with it. This was last night’s work. Take as much as you like as an advance for now. When I need you to take me somewhere or perhaps procure something for me, there’s more where this came from.”  
Jefferson lost no time in packing as much gold as he could possibly carry. He didn’t know why Rumple was being so generous, but he planned to take as much gold as he could now before he could change his mind.   
“Don’t forget this is just an advance,” Rumple reminded him. “Come back tomorrow. I’ll have a short list of items I want you to go after for me then.”  
It was more than fair, Jefferson realized. It would be easy enough to go after magical items here and there. He’d done it often enough. He thought again of Priscilla though.  
“One condition. Nothing that would be too dangerous. Remember I’m all my daughter has. If something happened to me-.”  
“Understood and agreed,” Rumple said with a nod.   
Jefferson turned to leave, and then stopped a moment. He looked back at Rumple.  
“Thank you.”  
Rumple actually jumped in surprise.  
“Wh- what?”  
“Thank you. You have no idea what this means for Grace and me.”  
Rumple smiled. “It might not be as hard for me to understand as you think, Dearie.”  
Rumple pondered his latest deal long after Jefferson was gone. He’d never had a real friend in his life, but there was something about that hatter that he liked. He’d understood nothing was more important than his child. He’d been polite enough to thank him. Somehow Rumple was looking forward to seeing him again.


	2. Chapter 2

It wouldn’t have been good to be late the first day on a job, but Rumple hadn’t specified a time. Jefferson wasn’t sure exactly what Rumple did all day. Would he be home spinning and making deals? Was he gone on some errand? It was common knowledge that the Dark One was immortal. Tales of his dealings dated back to long before living memory. Jefferson briefly wondered how an immortal spent their time before approaching the door, wondering if Rumple was even there.  
This time it opened before he knocked, so apparently Rumple was home. Guessing Rumple must be expecting him, he came in. He found him in the spinning room, the straw turning to gold as Rumple worked with it.  
“I hope I’m not late,” Jefferson said.  
“Not at all, Dearie. I knew when you’d arrive. Seeing the future has its uses.”  
“Oh,” Jefferson said, not sure whether he was surprised or not. He was beginning to think nothing about Rumple should surprise him. The Dark One could do things an ordinary man could only imagine. “Guessing you know I’m ready for my first job then. Where am I going?”  
Rumple replaced the spool he was spinning gold onto as he answered “The Land Without Color.”  
“What would you want with that place?” Jefferson asked. “There’s magic there, but barely.”  
“Which makes it the last place someone would expect a magical object to be hidden,” Rumple told him. He left the spinning wheel and went to where a book was laid open to a certain page, showing a ring.  
“This ring is what you’re after. Not too well guarded. It’s in a hollow tree along with a hoard of other treasures. The strongest protection on it is an anti- greed spell. You’ll have to leave something in return. If you take more than one item in exchange, your hand won’t be able to be pulled out of the tree. Ever.”  
“Good to know,” Jefferson commented. “I’ll be sure there’s nothing but the ring in my hand when I pull it out.”  
Rumple tossed a spool of gold thread at him.   
“That will be payment enough for the tree to surrender the ring.”  
Rumple went over the exact location of the tree, and Jefferson left to get it. It was a simple enough retrieval. Had it not been for being in a different realm, it would have been nothing for Rumple to go get the ring himself. It seemed too easy, as long as he didn’t try to take more than the ring, and he wouldn’t. Remembering all the stories of the Dark One, Jefferson wondered for a moment if this was some sort of trick.   
He dismissed the idea almost as soon as it entered his head. Rumple needn’t have given him all that gold. Besides, he had no intentions of not filling his part of the deal. The stories that seemed the most reliable never claimed the Dark one hurt people unless they threatened him or didn’t keep their word. Jefferson did pause when he reached into the tree with the ring, but he also remembered no one ever claimed Rumple went back on his word. He had said he wouldn’t send him on any missions that were too dangerous and had told him how to take the ring safely.  
Just as Rumple had said, the ring came out without a problem, Jefferson’s hand still perfectly intact. Seconds later he returned to the castle. The door opened on its own, and Rumple appeared in a cloud of purple smoke beside him. Jefferson was quickly becoming used to how Rumple could appear out of nowhere, and even the scales seemed less strange the more he saw them.   
“That was actually faster than expected,” Rumple commented.   
“It wasn’t exactly hard,” Jefferson told him, handing him the ring. Since Rumple had paid him in advance, he didn’t expect any more payment that day. Yet a cloud of smoke appeared in Rumple’s hand, and turned into a toy. It was a plush tortoise with a friendly face, the sort of toy any young child would adore. Grace had a special love of plush animals.   
“What’s this for?” Jefferson asked, taking the toy as Rumple held it out to him.   
“Just something that was laying around here for a long time. I think it was something someone gave me in some deal a long time ago. It may as well go to your girl as gather dust here.”  
He was lying. That toy was new, and exceptionally well made. Jefferson smiled at him.  
“Thank you, for everything. I know she’ll love it.”  
That afternoon, Grace was waiting to be picked up from their neighbors’ house. She threw her arms around his neck happily when he came for her.  
“You’re back sooner than I thought you would be, Papa. I’m so glad.”  
“I had an easy job,” he told her. “And the man I work for now even gave me a present for you.”  
He held out the stuffed tortoise, and Grace beamed with delight, hugging her new toy close.  
“He must be such a nice man,” Grace said cheerfully.   
Jefferson reflected on that. Rumple had seemed to change once he learned a child needed money. He’d not only let him make off with an incredible amount of gold, but also given Grace a gift without even seeing her. That hardly matched what everyone said about him.  
“I think there’s more to him than he lets people see at least,” Jefferson told her. Not many would believe it, but the Dark One obviously had a soft spot for children. Not every story about him could be true. Jefferson would never have any fear of him again.


	3. Chapter 3

The easy work continued for Jefferson. True to his word, Rumple had never asked him to do anything that was dangerous, as long as Jefferson listened to the instructions. He always did. The jobs were usually obtaining some artifact, but there were times when Rumple asked Jefferson to use the hat to take him somewhere. That ended up being the work Jefferson enjoyed most. He was beginning to enjoy Rumple’s company.  
It was rare that Rumple ever opened up enough to talk about himself. Jefferson admitted to himself that he had no sense when it came to managing money, but he had sense enough to not question Rumple too much. That didn’t keep him from joking with him. He soon learned Rumple did have a sense of humor. It was dry and snarky, but it was there. There were times when that unsettling, chilling giggle was replaced by a genuine laugh.  
Things were less humorous the day Jefferson was given a different task. He was summoned to the castle, and fully expected to be sent after a magical mirror or a crystal ball or some such thing. He was surprised when he heard a baby crying. He followed the sound to Rumple’s spinning room, and he almost dreaded what he’d find.   
He’d forgotten Rumple’s reputation. With little gifts here and there that Rumple gave to Grace, all the gold he could carry from the castle, and time spent actually coming to know Rumple, Jefferson had forgotten that Rumple was known for taking children. Now he remembered, and it terrified him to wonder what would happen to that child.  
Coming into the room, he saw Rumple holding the baby. Far from harming the infant, Rumple was holding him, speaking soothingly. Everything about the way Rumple held the baby spoke of experience. Rumple obviously had cared for children before. Not just taken them, actually cared for them! Jefferson walked closer and got a good look at the baby.  
“That’s Simon!” he gasped. “I know his parents, if they can be called that. The father is never without a bottle in his hand, and the mother is too interested in gambling to even notice Simon exists. I don’t know how he’s survived this long.”  
“He isn’t their concern anymore,” Rumple said. There was an extra coldness in his voice, an anger directed at Simon’s parents. “I gave them what they wanted for him, and now his new parents will give me what I want when I hand him to them.”  
“And that would be?” Jefferson asked.  
“My business,” Rumple answered. “Yours is to watch him until I return. I have a few errands I need to run in person. I can’t exactly bring the baby with me.”  
By now, the baby had stopped crying, and was actually smiling up at Rumple. The smile became a contented laugh as Simon reached up and touched Rumple’s face. Jefferson saw a change in Rumple at that. It was as if Rumple wasn’t truly there. In his mind, he was in another place. Was he holding someone else? Rumple snapped out of it, putting the baby back down and disappearing in a cloud of smoke without another word.   
It was over two hours later before he returned. Jefferson had taken excellent care of the baby in Rumple’s absence, but somehow the baby was happy to see Rumple return. He even reached for Rumple. Jefferson wasn’t sure if Rumple would give in to Simon or not, but after a moment of hesitating he did pick the baby up. Again, Jefferson noticed the way Rumple held him.   
Had he ever held a baby of his own like that? It was strange to think that the Dark One could have once been human. There were rumors that Rumple had once been a great coward and had become the Dark One to escape that cowardice, but Jefferson knew better than to ever mention such rumors. Still, it had him thinking. If Rumple had once been an ordinary man, he might have been in love. He might have fathered children of his own. That was the first time Jefferson saw something in Rumple he recognized in himself. Regret.   
“That’s all I need you for today,” Rumple told him. “As always, help yourself to as much gold as you like.”  
Jefferson had stopped weighting himself down with quite as much gold, knowing there would be more, and he didn’t have to carry everything at once. He packed what he reasoned he would need for a week or so and looked back at Rumple. He no longer worried the baby would be hurt. He was starting to feel some worry for Rumple though. What had he been through? It was obvious now how much he loved children. If he’d lost his own, Jefferson didn’t want to think about what that must be like for him.   
It was a month later when Jefferson went on a journey. This time the hat was not needed. He was only going a few towns away to see if he could find something special for Grace’s birthday. He had a doll in mind that he’d seen some time before. He was looking in the shop when he saw a young couple holding a familiar looking baby. They clearly all but worshiped the child and were excitedly buying new things for him.  
“May I see him?” Jefferson asked, and the couple proudly held the baby up to show him off. There was no doubt he was Simon. Jefferson smiled to himself. The baby was far better off thanks to Rumple. The monster everyone thought he was couldn’t be farther from the truth.


	4. Chapter 4

Usually Grace stayed with the neighbors when her father went on a mission for Rumple. One day though, the neighbors were away from home themselves. There was no one available who could watch her, except one person.   
“You seriously want me, of all people, to watch your daughter?” Rumple asked in disbelief. “You know my reputation with children.”  
“I know you’d never hurt Grace,” Jefferson told him. “You think I’d ever leave her with someone I didn’t trust?”  
Rumple was taken aback by that. He had never expected anyone would trust him that deeply. He still had one last excuse up his sleeve.  
“Have you considered my possessions, Dearie? Not all of them are safe for a little girl to be around.”  
“Grace knows not to touch anything without permission,” Jefferson said. “She’s as polite and proper a little lady as they come. Now, do you want me to go after that potion for you today or not?”  
Rumple considered before agreeing.  
“Oh, very well. If you come back and find her changed into something though, it’s your own fault.”  
Jefferson knew that would not happen. He’d already seen Rumple with a baby. And had no fears Rumple would ever let a child be harmed. Grace was brought in, and Jefferson hugged her and told her to be good like she always was before leaving. Rumple was briefly left wondering how she would react to him before she looked at him with a smile. Rumple couldn’t help noticing she held Mr. Tortoise close.  
“Do you want to have a tea party?” she asked. Rumple had no idea how to react to that.  
“You do realize who I am, Dearie?”  
“Of course,” she answered. “You’re the nice man my papa works for, the one who gave me Mr. Tortoise.”  
It was too late to deny that. The child obviously had no fear at all of him. Within a few moments, Rumple had conjured up a lovely tea party for them. There were sandwiches, tea cakes, a delightful tasting tea with cream and sugar, and a variety of other delectable treats. As Jefferson had said, Grace was a perfectly polite lady about it. She might have been any noble lady at a high class tea the way she acted. She even saw to her own soft guest.  
“This is all so delicious. Don’t you agree, Mr. Tortoise?” she asked. Rumple found himself playing along, even talking to the toy and vanishing Mr. Tortoise’s share to make it seem like it was actually being eaten and drank. Grace couldn’t have been more thrilled. Rumple would never have admitted it, but he didn’t feel strange at all interacting with a child that way. In fact, he felt more himself than he had in centuries.  
Jefferson was back before long, in fact earlier than Rumple had expected. Rumple had certainly not intended to be seen having tea with a little girl. Jefferson couldn’t hide his smile at the sight. Grace hurried over to hug him back, and then asked her to go get the surprise he had in his pack in the next room. The hatter was glad he’d left it there. He wanted a word alone with Rumple, who shot a stern look at him as Grace left the room.  
“A snail, Hatter. One word about this and that’s how you’ll spend the rest of your days.”  
Jefferson laughed.  
“Don’t worry. I won’t say a word. You want me to tell anyone you kidnapped Grace if they ask where she was today?”  
“Tell them I turned her into a bird just to feed her worms for all I care,” Rumple answered. Jefferson fought back more laughter and handed Rumple the vial he’d been sent after. Grace came back in, proudly wearing the necklace of beads her father had brought her. She hugged him again.  
“Thank you, Papa.” Then she nodded at the table, which still held many sweets, and looked at Rumple. “Would you mind if he had some before we go? It would give us time to finish the story you were telling.”  
“I suppose he may as well,” Rumple said. So while Jefferson had his share of the food, Rumple finished telling Grace one of the stories he used to tell Bae. He had a definite flare for story telling. Jefferson even found himself entranced. Rumple finished the story as Jefferson finished the food and tea, and it was time for them to go home. Grace had one last surprise for Rumple, going over to him and hugging him.  
“I had a lovely time,” she said sincerely. “Thank you.” She curtsied politely. Rumple bowed in return.  
“It was my pleasure,” Rumple told her. And he meant it. Jefferson knew that and gave Rumple a look that told him so. He smiled at Grace.  
“Say goodbye, now,” Jefferson told her.  
“See you soon, Uncle Rumple.”   
Again, Jefferson hid his laugh. Rumple was left staring ahead in confusion.  
“Now when the hell did I become Uncle Rumple?”


	5. Chapter 5

A year passed, with Jefferson and Rumple started to develop a deepening friendship. Rumple found himself coming up with any excuses he could to have Jefferson come over or to go somewhere together after something. He wouldn’t say how much he enjoyed the hatter’s company. He’d pretend it meant nothing to him. Jefferson also pretended he had no one to watch Grace fairly often. He knew Rumple actually loved the little girl, no matter how much he pretended to be annoyed.  
It was one day, shortly before Grace’s birthday came again, when Grace was spending more time with Rumple. The mage was quick to notice that Grace was less than happy. She was usually such a cheerful child. This time, the happiness didn’t quite fill her eyes.  
“Something wrong, Dearie?” he asked.  
“Not exactly.” She hesitated to answer. “Well, I don’t want you to think I don’t like spending time with you Uncle Rumple.” Strange how he’d become used to her calling him that. “I do. It’s just that before my papa met you, we used to go for walks in the woods to find mushrooms and feathers to sell. We’d have tea parties where it was just the two of us. I miss those times.”  
Rumple knew how much Jefferson loved Grace. He’d do anything for her. He simply didn’t know what she really wanted.   
Jefferson soon returned from retrieving straw for Rumple. He was thinking to himself that Rumple wasn’t even seriously trying anymore to make is seem like he actually needed him. As always, Rumple told him to help himself to as much gold as he liked. Then Rumple asked Grace if he could have a private word with her father. She obliged, and Jefferson turned to his benefactor.  
“What’s the matter?”  
“I was just wondering,” Rumple answered. “Exactly how much gold it will take before you feel like you have enough.”  
Jefferson’s face fell. He didn’t want to lose his source of income. Even worse, he didn’t want Rumple thinking he was greedy.  
“You always say take as much as I like. If I’m taking too much I’ll-“  
“I never said you were taking too much, Dearie,” Rumple reminded him. “I never break my end of the deal. My end is letting you take as much gold as you like. What’s gold to me when I can make more than what I need in a night’s work? Besides, I know there are more valuable things than gold and what it can buy.”  
Jefferson looked confused, but Rumple explained.  
“Everyone knows the Dark One has life eternal. That doesn’t mean I take time for granted. On the contrary, I’ve learned to value every second.” Knowing Jefferson still didn’t understand, he continued. “When you first came here, you impressed me. That’s not something everyone can say, Dearie. You knew no amount of gold could ever replace your daughter. I’m just wondering how long before you know nothing you could ever buy her will mean as much to her as you do.”  
“But she already has me,” Jefferson protested.  
“Does she?” Rumple asked. His eyes glazed over as he reflected on the past. “Grace’s birthday is soon. I do hope you plan to give her a truly valuable gift. Before you know it, she’ll be a grown woman. When she looks back on these days, it won’t be the things you gave her that she remembers.”  
Jefferson looked quiet and thoughtful, but he wasn’t only himself and Grace he was thinking of.  
“You were a father, weren’t you?” Jefferson asked. Before Rumple could quiet him, he said “I’ve seen you with children. If you weren’t a father, you should have been. And you have regrets. That’s easy enough to recognize. I have that myself.” He paused again. “I won’t ask you what happened. That’s your story to tell if you want. But I want you to know I understand guilt.” His voice broke. “It’s my fault Grace’s mother is gone. I made a stupid, stupid mistake that got her killed. I have to live with that every single day. I hope if you’re feeling anything like that, you’re able to get past it.”  
Rumple had never thought to hear any such thing. He was touched deeply by it but didn’t answer. Instead he asked “So what are you giving Grace? Just so I don’t give her the same thing.”  
Jefferson smiled and answered “The most valuable thing I can give her.”  
When Grace’s birthday arrived, Jefferson took her for a long walk in the woods to a field of flowers where they shared a picnic. They stayed up well past Grace’s bedtime watching a show of shooting stars. Jefferson couldn’t remember the last time Grace’s smile had been that bright. Rumple saw her and gave her his own birthday gift the next day. He knew from the joy on her face that Jefferson had listened to him.


	6. Chapter 6

There were an almost limitless number of places Jefferson could go with his hat. Anywhere with magic was open to him. Some of those places had more mild climates. Others were extremely hot or cold. Jefferson had just returned from retrieving magical snow from one of those places, and although he had dressed warmly, he was thinking something hot would be a good treat. He saw no sign of Rumple or Grace and guessed they must be having a tea party together.   
“A nice hot cup of tea sounds perfect,” he said to himself. He went into the main hall where Rumple and Grace usually had their tea parties and found a tea pot setting on the table. They must have finished early and gone to do something else, maybe look at something in Rumple’s vast collection.   
“Rumple won’t mind if I help myself to a cup,” Jefferson told himself. He grabbed a cup and poured himself some of the brew. Strange that it didn’t taste like tea. As soon as the liquid was swallowed, he felt himself changing. He couldn’t see himself. All the mirrors in the castle were carefully covered. When he looked down though, he saw purple fur where there should have been normal skin, and his feet were several times as long as they should have been.   
His scream brought Rumple and Grace running. The two of them had vastly different reactions to seeing him. Grace would have been afraid for her father, but she trusted Rumple completely to be able to undo this. Without being afraid for him, it was easy to find the humor in the situation. She covered a laugh, but Rumple was less amused.  
“Do you ever use your head for anything besides carrying that hat, Dearie? I’ve told you a thousand times if I’ve told you once to never touch anything here. Did you think that was a warning for your own good, or that I was making up rules just because I felt like it?”  
“You never said anything about not drinking anything!” Jefferson shouted. “I thought this was just tea left over from you and Grace having a tea party together.”  
“For your information,” Rumple told him, “I figured you would be wanting something hot when you came back. We were waiting on having tea until you returned. That pot isn’t even one I use for actually making tea. You’ve seen the one I use for that.”  
“Well how was I supposed to know you didn’t decide to use a different one for some reason today?” Jefferson asked. “Now change me back to normal already!”  
“That might take some work,” Rumple told him. “I could have fixed this in half a second if I’d been able to finish the potion. This didn’t do what the finished potion would have done, which means the usual antidote won’t work.”  
“So, I’m stuck like this?” Jefferson asked in a panic.  
“That’s not what I said,” Rumple reminded him. “I said it might take some work. The potion was supposed to brew longer and have several more ingredients added at the right time. The antidote will have to be adjusted.”  
“In the meantime, you look cute, Papa,” Grace told him.  
“She does have a point, Dearie,” Rumple told him. “You look good as a purple kangaroo. Maybe just leaving you this way for her would be best.” He giggled and Grace laughed.  
“Very funny you two,” Jefferson said with a grimace. He crossed his arms, which were shorter than they used to be. “Now hurry up and fix this!”  
“Hurrying won’t help,” Rumple reminded him. “Do you want the antidote brewed correctly, or would you rather have it turn you into something else?”  
So, Jefferson had no choice but to wait until Rumple completed the new potion. He and Grace stayed at the castle since it had to brew overnight. When Rumple handed him the steaming cup of sulfur colored sludge the next morning, Jefferson nearly gagged.  
“I’m supposed to drink this?”  
“That depends on if you want to spend the rest of your days in your current form or not,” Rumple told him.  
“It smells terrible!”  
“I’m sure that’s nothing compared to the taste,” Rumple commented.  
“Thanks a lot,” Jefferson said miserably, forcing himself to drink the potion down. Rumple was right about the taste. There was no way Jefferson could think of to accurately describe that. Disgusting wasn’t a strong enough word. It nearly came back up again, but it did its job and changed him back to his normal self.  
“Now next time, remember when I tell you not to touch anything, I mean not to touch anything. And here I was worried about Grace getting into trouble the first time she came here.”  
“Don’t worry. Lesson learned,” Jefferson told him. His face still showed his disgust at the antidote’s taste. Still, now that he was back to normal, he could find the humor in the situation too. “That antidote is a harsh teacher.”  
“Well, you’ll be reminded of that lesson every day for a week. You’ll have to take a dose for that long unless you want to change back permanently.”  
Jefferson grimaced.  
“Please tell me you’re not serious!”  
“I’m not,” Rumple said, laughing again. Soon Jefferson and Grace were joining in the laughter. Somehow even a mishap with a transformation potion could be enjoyable when the friends shared the experience.


End file.
